Bayelsa youths support Dickson’s education levy

The Niger Delta Youths Coalition for Peace and Progress (NDYCPP) has hailed the educational policies of Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the governor last Friday announced that he had signed the Bayelsa Education Development Trust Fund and Bayelsa Higher Education Trust Fund.

The laws make it mandatory for every taxable adult, civil servants and corporate bodies to contribute on a monthly basis to the trust funds.

The fund will be used to run secondary educational institutions and provide revolving loans to indigent students in tertiary institutions.

NDYPP in a statement by Pastor Olayinka Tiedor and Chief Henry Nabena, acting national chairman and acting state chairman in Bayelsa, pledged to collaborate with the government to sensitise the public to contribute to the trust funds.

It noted that the educational programmes of the Dickson administration were panacea for reversing the state’s backwardness.

The group said the establishment of Ijaw National Academy, a model boarding secondary school providing scholarship for 1, 000 pupils from the Niger Delta, was an ambitious effort worthy of support.

“We support in totality, the educational development levy because of its importance in sustaining quality education at all levels.

“This will also check youth restiveness by providing opportunity for youths to ensure self development.

“This wake-up call to give education the priority it deserves is key to the speedy transformation of Bayelsa and indeed the Ijaw nation.

“Therefore, all hands must be on deck to bring it to fruition irrespective of political party affiliation or tribe.

“The NDYCPP, a coalition of youth groups across the Niger Delta, with structures in all the states and local governments of the region, remains a viable youth advocacy platform.”

NDYCPP said it is committed to empowerment of 5, 000 youths in Bayelsa within the next one year.

It said in collaboration with the Bayelsa Ministry of Agriculture, it had facilitated the participation of 200 youths in the CBN Anchor Borrowers Scheme for Fish/Cassava farmers.

The body said the target of empowering 5,000 youths was feasible, considering its efforts in agriculture, entrepreneurship development, wealth creation and existing partnership with the three tiers of government and private sector

It praised the plans of the government to float Bayelsa Young Entrepreneurship Programme to provide soft loan for youths with viable business ideas capable of creating jobs to decongest the labour market.

The Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) has urged governors in the Niger Delta to prioritise education and step up investment in education.

The group was reacting to the foundation laying for Senate building of Niger Delta University by Governor Dickson in Amassoma, Southern Ijaw Local Government.

IYC Secretary Mr Parkins Ogede said the governor has taken the bull by the horns in tackling the educational disadvantage of the region by initiating the Education Development Trust Fund (EDTF).

The organisation enjoined other governors to emulate Dickson by paying attention to education.

Ogede said IYC will not hesitate to call out under-performing governments in the region and in extension the Ijaw nation, to take steps to meet the expectations of the people to provide education to uplift the living standards of the people.